Attraction rippled in my belly as I watched this tender side of him.
In fact, the level of attraction really was ridiculous considering how little I knew about Ramsay.
“Do you play the bagpipes?” I blurted out.
Ramsay turned to me, his piercing gaze still surprising, knocking the breath right out of me. Slowly, he stood from petting Akiva. “Been snooping, Silver?”
My cheeks flushed because I had been. I also might have grown hot at the familiar use of my surname as a nickname. “They’re right there.” I gestured to the other side of the room where I knew the bagpipes laid.
“Aye, I play.”
“Where? When?” I got up off the couch to follow him into the kitchen. I kept the island between us as he opened the refrigerator.
“Pipe band. Quinn’s in it too.”
Which meant I might get to watch and hear Ramsay play. “Do you play locally?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes at events on the mainland. Why?” He glanced over his shoulder.
“I like the pipes. My mom was Scottish, and we’d visit my grandmother in Edinburgh every other summer. After my first Tattoo, I made my dad take me every time we visited my gran.”
“Sounds like you have Scotland in your blood. In more ways than one.”
“Yeah.”
“Dinner?” he asked abruptly.
In answer, my stomach gave a rumble of approval. “Sure. Thanks. I really appreciate your hospitality.”
He grunted in response.
Thirty minutes later, I sat across from Ramsay at his dining table eating the basic pasta dish he’d thrown together. It was far from a culinary masterpiece. Now that I was pretty sure he found me annoying, I felt self-conscious and remembered to keep my questions to myself.
It was interesting because growing up the way I had, I’d become a pretty confident person. The last time I remembered feeling self-conscious was when I was thirteen. It was the first time a boy kissed me and I’d agonized over if I was any good at it.
I’d barely taken a bite of the bland pasta when I felt Ramsay’s attention on me.
Looking up, sure enough, Ramsay searched my face.
“What?”
“You’re quiet.”
“Am I? Do you know me well enough to ascertain that quiet isn’t my usual mode?”
“Our earlier interaction suggests otherwise.”
I frowned.
“I’m not suggesting you’re overly talkative, Silver. You just … are less so than before.”
Silver. Why was him calling me by my surname so hot?
“I’m already imposing. Just trying to stay out of your way as much as possible before it’s safe to cross back to Leth Sholas.”
We ate in silence for a bit after that and I tried not to be hurt by Ramsay’s lack of response or denial that I was imposing or needed to stay out of his way.
“So … you really plan to stay here permanently?” Ramsay asked out of nowhere. “You’re not planning to move on once the B and B is up and running? Leave someone else to manage it?”
